PORTO-NOVO, BENIN – January 16, 2026 – The Women Leaders Network for Development (RFLD) concluded an intensive training program that equipped 30 midwives in Benin with evidence-based protocols to address preventable maternal and newborn mortality.
The “Midwives to Leaders” initiative responds to a humanitarian emergency in which West and Central Africa accounts for 40% of global under-5 deaths and over 50% of maternal deaths, despite representing just 10% of the world’s population. According to RFLD’s 2025 Maternal Health Data Platform, the region experiences 135,000 maternal deaths, 630,000 neonatal deaths, and over 500,000 stillbirths annually—with over 70% preventable through existing interventions.
Stories from the Front Lines
Participants were invited to share their experiences—the lives lost, the near-misses, the systemic challenges they face daily.
Fatouma, a midwife stood to address the circle. “Three months ago, a 15-year-old girl was brought to my clinic. She had been in labor at home for three days. Three days.” Her voice cracked with emotion. “The family didn’t trust the health center. They said we were rude, that we didn’t respect their traditions, that we looked down on them for being poor. By the time they brought her, the baby’s heartbeat was gone. She developed sepsis. We lost both the mother and baby.”
Fatouma paused, looking around the circle. “I’ve been a midwife for 12 years. I know how to deliver babies. But I didn’t know how to build trust with the traditional birth attendants in my community. I didn’t know how to make families feel respected. This training is teaching me that clinical skills mean nothing if women won’t come to us.”
Christelle, from Porto-Novo, shared her own story. “Last month, I delivered 14 babies in a single 24-hour shift with just two nurses assisting. Fourteen. We had no time for postnatal counseling, no time to teach mothers danger signs, no time to ensure babies were breastfeeding properly. Three of those babies came back within a week with severe infections. Two died.”
She looked down at her hands. “I felt like a failure. But this training is showing me it’s not about working harder—I can’t work any harder. It’s about working smarter. How to triage, how to delegate, how to use every single interaction as a teaching moment.”
Safiatou, a rural midwife from Plateau Department, described missing the warning signs of preeclampsia in a pregnant woman who later suffered a fatal stroke. “I knew her blood pressure was high—158 over 95. But I didn’t realize how urgently she needed referral to a higher-level facility. I told her to come back in two days. She died that night at home, in her sleep, next to her husband.”
Safiatou’s eyes welled with tears. “The protocols we’re learning here—clear blood pressure thresholds, decision trees for emergency referral, how to stabilize a patient while waiting for transport—if I had known these three months ago, that woman would still be alive. Her three children would still have a mother.”
Evidence-Based, High-Impact Solutions
Our approach is rigorously data-driven. RFLD’s Maternal Health Data Platform (https://rflgd.org/maternal/) tracks real-time outcomes across 24 countries, informing program design and advocacy.
West and Central Africa faces the world’s highest mortality rates:
Maternal Mortality Ratio: 629 per 100,000 live births (global average: 211)
Neonatal Mortality Rate: 29 per 1,000 live births
Under-5 Mortality Rate: 86 per 1,000 live births (1 in 12 children die before age 5)
Stillbirth Rate: 23 per 1,000 births
In Benin specifically, the maternal mortality ratio stands at 397 per 100,000 births—nearly three times the UN Sustainable Development Goal target of 140 by 2030.
Professor Pascal Dohou, University Lecturer at Université d’Abomey-Calavi and RFLD’s Regional Program Director brought a unique perspective shaped by years of public health research and regional program coordination.
“What we’re witnessing in West and Central Africa is not simply a healthcare failure—it’s a systemic crisis rooted in historical inequities, underinvestment in health infrastructure, and the persistent devaluation of women’s lives,” Prof. Dohou explained, his measured academic tone carrying the weight of documented evidence. “Our research at Université d’Abomey-Calavi consistently shows that the knowledge exists, the interventions exist, the treatments exist. What’s missing is the political will to prioritize maternal and child health and the investment in the health workforce that delivers these services.”
Prof. Dohou shared findings from RFLD’s regional research initiatives: “Our data shows that facilities with RFLD-trained midwives see an average 42% reduction in maternal mortality within two years. This isn’t magic—it’s the application of evidence-based protocols, combined with community trust-building and health system navigation skills. What you’ll learn here over five days has been validated by rigorous research across multiple countries and contexts. This is science in action.”
“Every day in our region, 375 mothers and 1,726 newborns die from preventable complications,” stated Rebecca Hossou, RFLD’s Administrative Secretary. “These deaths occur not because solutions don’t exist—treatments costing less than $1 can save lives—but because of gaps in access, quality of care, and early intervention. This training addresses those gaps systematically.”
The training program, held in an open-air town-hall format at RFLD’s Porto-Novo headquarters, was designed by a multidisciplinary team that included maternal health specialists, data scientists, and public health academics. The curriculum targets the primary causes of mortality in the region:
Malaria (19% of child deaths) – Prevention and treatment protocols
Respiratory infections (18%) – Pneumonia case management
Diarrhea (12%) – ORS + zinc treatment administration
Prematurity (11%) – Prenatal care optimization and skilled delivery
Birth asphyxia/trauma (9%) – Neonatal resuscitation techniques
Postpartum hemorrhage, eclampsia, sepsis – Active management protocols
Training modules covered:
Prevention-first prenatal care and risk screening
Safe delivery practices and emergency obstetric response
Postnatal and newborn critical care protocols
Community health system strengthening and referral pathways
Addressing social determinants: adolescent pregnancy, FGM, GBV, climate impacts
Previous RFLD “Midwives to Leaders” cohorts demonstrate measurable outcomes:
42% average reduction in facility-based maternal mortality (comparing two years pre- and post-training)
18 percentage point increase in skilled birth attendance rates in catchment areas
2,847 high-risk pregnancies identified and referred, preventing potential maternal/neonatal deaths
6,200+ community health volunteers trained in danger sign recognition
“Our research at Université d’Abomey-Calavi consistently validates these results,” stated Professor Pascal Dohou, University Lecturer and RFLD Regional Program Director. “Facilities with RFLD-trained midwives see statistically significant improvements in maternal outcomes within 24 months. This isn’t anecdotal—it’s evidence-based, replicable, and cost-effective health system strengthening.”
On January 20, 2026, RFLD will officially launch its Regional Francophone Hub, a digital platform connecting health practitioners across 29 French-speaking African countries. The “Midwives to Leaders” curriculum will be adapted into online modules with plans to train 5,000+ midwives by 2028 across Benin, Togo, Niger, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, and beyond.
“We’re creating the first Pan-African digital university for maternal health practitioners,” explained Prof. Dohou, who oversees the Hub’s academic integrity. “This is a living knowledge ecosystem where frontline experience meets academic rigor, and isolated practitioners become part of a regional community of practice.”
The platform will host:
Live case discussions and peer learning forums
Clinical protocol libraries adapted to low-resource settings
Emergency consultation networks for complex cases
Real-time data dashboards tracking maternal and newborn outcomes
Advocacy toolkits for health system policy engagement
RFLD’s 2025 Maternal Health Data Platform analysis reveals that 22 out of 24 countries in West and Central Africa are off-track to meet 2030 SDG targets. To achieve goals, the region must:
Reduce maternal mortality by 78% (from 629 to 140 per 100,000)
Cut neonatal mortality by 59% (from 29 to 12 per 1,000)
Decrease under-5 mortality by 71% (from 86 to 25 per 1,000)
At the current pace, these targets are unattainable. The region needs to accelerate efforts 6-8 times beyond current rates.
“Every delay costs lives—375 maternal and 1,726 newborn deaths daily,” emphasized Marlene Sagbohan, RFLD Data Justice Officer. “This is a humanitarian emergency requiring emergency-level response and investment.”
Given documented mortality reductions and the multiplier effect through community health worker training and mentorship, the cost per life saved is extraordinarily low compared to emergency obstetric interventions.
RFLD’s holistic approach recognizes that maternal survival requires addressing:
Adolescent pregnancy: 32% of Beninese girls married before age 18; adolescent mothers face 50% higher mortality risk
Female Genital Mutilation: Creates severe childbirth complications including prolonged labor, fistula, hemorrhage
Gender-based violence: Increases risks of poor prenatal care, preterm birth, maternal depression
Climate change: Flooding, drought, and extreme heat exacerbate malnutrition, disease, and pregnancy complications
Conflict and fragility: 11 countries in the region affected by active conflict or instability
Trained midwives learn to identify these risk factors, provide specialized care, and connect women to RFLD’s legal aid, psychosocial support, and advocacy networks.
Funding priorities:
Scale “Midwives to Leaders” training to 5,000 practitioners by 2028
Francophone Hub platform development and operations
Research and impact evaluation
Community health worker training cascade
Clinical equipment and resource kits for trained midwives
About RFLD
The Women Leaders Network for Development (RFLD) is a Pan-African feminist organization advancing women’s health, rights, and political power across 55 African countries. With Observer Status at the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and US 501(c)(3) equivalency certification, RFLD implements integrated programs in maternal health, political leadership development, economic justice, digital safety, and human rights defense. RFLD’s signature approach transforms beneficiaries into leaders, with over 156,000 former program participants now implementing community-level interventions.
RFLD Maternal Health Data Platform: https://rflgd.org/maternal/
Organization Website: https://rflgd.org
Regional Francophone Hub: https://rflgd.org/hub-francophone/
